The Loch Leven was a Black Ball Line iron ship of about 1439 tons, wrecked on Harbinger Reef near Cape Wickham on 24 October 1871 with a cargo of wool from Geelong - the first wool ship out of Geelong that season. The Marine Life Network guide records that heavy fog obscured the land; all the crew escaped, but the captain drowned while trying to recover the ship's mails, and his grave is near the Cape Wickham lighthouse.

The guide rates the wreck 6 out of 10 and a relatively easy shore dive in good weather. She is broken roughly in two and lies parallel to the coast about 50 m from shore, beyond the surf line, in 2-7 m. The flattened ironwork is extensive and impressive, the stern is buried under shifting sand, and most of the wreck is normally exposed; the ship's beams are clearly visible. Large schools of fish gather over the well-lit, photogenic site, although many artefacts have long since been removed.

King Island has more recorded shipwrecks than anywhere else in Australia - King Island Tourism puts the figure at over sixty - because ships running for Bass Strait on the 'clipper route' from Europe had to thread the gap between the island and Cape Otway, often in fog and gales with uncertain navigation. Most wrecks lie in shallow water on exposed reefs and have been broken up by more than a century of westerly swell, so diving them is about history and scattered remains rather than intact hulls.

All wrecks over 75 years old are protected under Commonwealth and Tasmanian heritage law: look but do not touch, and report any new finds to the Parks and Wildlife Service maritime archaeologist. With no chamber on the island, a diving injury means aeromedical evacuation to Melbourne or Hobart, so dive conservatively and carry oxygen.

King Island is reached by air from Melbourne (about 50 minutes), Burnie/Wynyard or Launceston; there is no passenger ferry, so divers fly in and hire a vehicle at the airport near Currie. Currie, the main town, is on the west coast; Grassy (with its harbour and boat ramp) is on the south-east coast about 30 minutes' drive away. Roads to the coast are a mix of sealed and gravel.

Drive north from Currie to Cape Wickham (about 40 minutes, partly gravel), home of Australia's tallest lighthouse; the Loch Leven lies about 2 km south-east of the cape. The captain's grave is near the lighthouse. The Marine Life Network guide describes it as a relatively easy shore dive in good weather only - enter beyond the surf line and swim 50 m out.

King Island sits in the path of the Roaring Forties, and its west coast (Currie, Netherby, Cataraqui, Brahmin) takes the full force of the prevailing westerly and south-westerly swell; these sites are diveable only after long calm periods or in easterly weather, which is most common in late summer. The east coast around Grassy is sheltered in westerlies and becomes the fallback. Strong tidal streams run around the island's capes after gales.

The northern tip is exposed to westerly and northerly swell; a surf-free day is essential for the shore entry.

Enter through a gap in the surf, swim out 50 m to the wreck and follow the flattened ironwork along its length, noting the two halves; return to shore before tiring. Turn at a third of gas to allow for the swim back and a possibly harder exit, finish with a 3-minute safety stop at about 5 m if the depth allows, and exit where you entered unless an alternative exit has been checked beforehand.

No dive shop or charter currently listed on King Island (Underwater Australasia has no listings); the King Island Dive Charters/Dive Centre referred to in older guides no longer appears to trade. Visitors must bring their own gear and arrange cylinders and a boat locally (hire weights/tanks on the island where possible to reduce air freight). Verify any current operator before travelling.